Olympic View - Daley Thompson

"When we stage the Olympics it will inspire kids all over the country. A kid in Scotland or Ireland will be encouraged to take up sport." 

Daley Thompson 

(British decathlete, 2-time winner at the Olympics):

Eaton Breaks Decathlon Record

Ashton Eaton broke the world record in the decathlon in the standout performance of day two at the United States Olympic trials.

The 24-year-old produced a stunning display in gruelling weather conditions at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon to score 9,039 points, 13 more than Roman Sebrle's 11-year-old world record.

That left him an amazing 656 clear of second-placed Trey Hardee, the defending world champion, and former University of Oregan athlete. Eaton told USATF. org: "It is a representation of all the work I have put in.

"I love this field and it's special for it to happen here. It is a very special race.

"I felt in the moment ... I knew there was maybe not another opportunity to make this count. At 600 meters I knew there was no way I wasn't going to get the record."

But there was disappointment for Beijing gold medallist Bryan Clay, who fell during the hurdles and eventually finished 12th after also struggling in the discus.

He said: "It was a rough day for me, but it was fun to be a part of what Ashton had going on.

"It's unbelievable. I don't know if anyone has matured in the event as quickly as he did. It's mind-boggling."

Allyson Felix looked to have missed out on a place in the women's 100 metres team by the narrowest possible margin.

Felix dead-heated with Jeneba Tarmoh for third place in the shortest sprint, with an announcement to the crowd at Hayward Field, Eugene, stating that Tarmoh had been given the verdict by 0.0001 seconds.

The results were immediately reviewed, with USA Track and Field officials trying to determine a method of breaking the tie and awarding the third individual place in the squad for the London Games.

Carmelita Jeter won the race, with Tianna Madison finishing second to also secure her place.

Should Felix miss out, she will at least have the consolation of running in the 4x100m relay.

She said: "I am happy for my team-mate getting third, but I am really disappointed. Fourth is the worst."

But she added: "God has the bigger plan; you may think you have it but in the end things work out a certain way for a reason. Now I can focus fully on relays."

Jeter said: "I am in a very special place right now. I am trying not to get emotional. This is my first Olympic team! I am extremely blessed.

"I am excited to represent the U.S. in going to London. We have to represent the red, white and blue and I am sure that we will do that."

Dawn Harper will defend her 100m hurdles title after finishing first ahead of Kellie Wells and Lolo Jones, who will both accompany her to London.

Tyson Gay clocked 10 seconds flat in his first heat in the 100m, while Justin Gatlin continued his return from a doping ban with a time of 9.90 sec.

WADA Responds to Daley Criticism

The World Anti-Doping Agency director general David Howman has defended criticism of the organisation from British Olympic legend Daley Thompson.

Thompson accused Wada of "not taking their job seriously" over drug testing.

In an open letter on the Wada website, Howman said: "Testing is significantly more effective today than in your day.

"If you were competing today, I can guarantee that you would notice the difference. Athletes are no longer able to abuse drugs with impunity."

Thompson, who won Olympic decathlon gold at the 1980 and 1984 Games, is an avid supporter of the British Olympic Association's stance of issuing lifetime Olympic bans to athletes who have served drugs suspensions.

Wada has declared the policy "non-compliant" with its anti-doping code and the case has gone to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with a verdict expected next Monday (12 March).

"I thought they were going to bring some clarity to the issue of drug-taking in sport," Thompson wrote in the Daily Mail. "To try to make sure that athletes and spectators weren't cheated.

"That's not what they have done. What they have done is tried to establish a consensus over punishments. They have come up with the minimum they can impose.

"I want them to be in court all the time - fighting cheats, not the BOA."

Daley Supports BOA Lifetime Bans

Double Olympic champion Daley Thompson has backed the British Olympic Association's (BOA) fight to maintain lifetime bans for drugs cheats.

The BOA is challenging the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) policy that the ban is "non-compliant" with its code.

"I think the BOA should obviously try their utmost to make sure that people don't get an easy ride," said Thompson.

"If we are the only country in the world prepared to have those high standards, then so be it."

Thompson, speaking as a Laureus World Sports Academy member at the 2011 awards nominations in London, told BBC Sport: "If the people from Wada - who are supposed to be looking after the interests of the good guys but don't - if they're are upset with me then so be it.

"But I do think it's time that sport was as healthy as it possibly can be and, at the moment in terms of drugs, I don't believe that a strong enough position is taken."

The BOA imposes a lifetime Olympic ban on any British athlete banned for more than six months for a doping offence - the only national Olympic committee to do so. However, the policy contradicts Wada's global anti-doping code.

The BOA will take its fight to keep a lifetime ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), and athletes like sprinter Dwain Chambers, who has served a ban, could compete at the 2012 London Olympics if the BOA loses.

"I think the only reason that the BOA should be here is to make sure that sport is played to the highest standards," said Thompson, who won decathlon gold in 1980 and 1984.

"I don't think there's any job more important for the BOA than to ensure that people that don't cheat are not given a bum deal compared to the people that do cheat. Going in and trying to make sure that people that are serious offenders don't compete in the Olympics is what the BOA should be all about.

"Sport can only be played properly if there's fair play."

Some who oppose the lifetime ban cite the likes of Chambers and cyclist David Millar, who have worked to encourage athletes against doping since failing tests themselves.

"It's always difficult when you start personalising it," said Thompson.

"David is probably a brilliant guy, I don't know him - I do know Dwain Chambers and he's a very nice guy too - but I think like a lot of things in society, things have swung a little bit too far and now a lot of people seem to be trying to protect the rights of the people that are cheating.

"Not enough people are looking after the people that don't cheat, that play the game properly and do all the right things.

"Of course both Millar and Chambers are contrite and sorry and all that kind of thing, but the question I'd like to know the answer to is whether, if they hadn't been caught, would they still be cheating?"

BOA LIFETIME BANS

Sportsmen and women currently subject to the BOA lifetime Olympic ban include:

Dwain Chambers (sprinting)

David Millar (cycling)

Carl Myerscough (shot put)

Peter Meakin (canoeing)

Jade Mellor (boxing)

Callum Priestley (hurdling)

Dan Staite (cycling)

Jamie Stevenson (shot put)

Kieren Kelly (shot put)

Jatinder Singh Rakhra (wrestling)